Rumplebluntskin:At first I thought it was a story of people removed from homes, then to find that they had just lost their jobs is all, and were looting the place as they left. Nice. Ill remember that if I lose my job, just take evey thing I can steal on the way out.

This likely isn't the case. The workers were probably requested by their respective companies to take whatever they can with them.

The prevailing fear in this situation is that once all the South Koreans are gone, the DPRK will seize the facilities and claim everything within.

These evacuees don't appear to be carrying personal possessions or factory-made products. Looks more like the directive said "We're shutting the entire complex down. Permanently and right now. Take EVERYTHING that's not nailed down (unless you can pull up the nails), and don't leave anything behind for the enemy."

Porky's attempts to pull the same-old "threat/retreat/food aid" game aren't working, and as posters have said above, he's effectively killed off any chance of outside investment in that country. Things are already awful. Now they're going to get even worse.

On an entirely different level, I question why big money from South Korea is using skilled labour from the North part of town on the cheap. It seems like exactly the sort of thing that would prevent reunification rather than fire it up.

Well, the whole operation was sort of a pity move on the Souths part. It was a way to get the North involved, and give them a taste of capitalism and the outside world. I don't think that the slave labor made or broke the set up, but yes, some companies made a nice profit. I think that the hope was that this sort of thing would expand and eventually bring NK into the 20th century (yeah, I mean 20th).

NK's actions lately have been out of character. Dear Leader knew how to play the game; some threats, then finally agree to talks, make concessions, get food aid, then reneg on the agreement and start over. Little fatso does not seem to know what to do. I think that this is mostly a manufactured crisis to keep his generals busy and where he can keep an eye on them.

KarmicDisaster:NK will never get investment capital again after this dumbass move. Plus this was a major source of income for them; they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Yeah, it looks like they're circling the drain. They seem to be trying to posture to get the US, SK and China to negotiate more food aid on their terms, but this time, even China seems to be sick of it. The regime's slowly going to be backed into a corner as their money runs short and I don't think its going to be pretty when they get desperate.

Stuff in the center of the load looks like they are recycling cardboard or newspapers or pizza boxes.

Do people in Korea use that many tatami mats in a household? And whatever it is, wouldn't it have gone on the car first to be loaded there?

If I had to guess, everyone is moving everyone's shiat out jointly as fast as possible. So that could be most or all of the mats there. While another guy is getting all of the clothes, another is getting the kitchenware, etc. When they reach the South, they'll unpack and get everyone their shiat then.